Cabinet body signals signing industrial co-op framework with China

ISLAMABAD - The Cabinet Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CCCPEC) on Friday gave the go-ahead to sign industrial cooperation framework with China during the upcoming Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting scheduled to be held on December 20th.

The Cabinet Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CCCPEC) met here with Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Reform, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar who also asked the Planning Ministry to encourage Chinese investors to relocate their industries. The meeting was attended by the members of the Cabinet Committee and Secretaries of the Federal Ministries.

The conveners of the Joint Working Groups on Energy, Infrastructure, Gwadar, Planning and Industrial Cooperation briefed the Committee about the agenda of the forthcoming 8th Joint Cooperation Committee meeting.

The Committee accorded approval to the agenda, composition of Pakistani delegation for the next JCC and its date of the meeting, fixed on December 20th, 2018.

The Committee expressed satisfaction over inviting Chief Ministers of all the provinces to participate in JCC that would enable them to market their own industrial zones as well as negotiate their projects particularly new initiatives in the socio-economic development sector.

The Committee advised to identify pilot projects in these sectors in consultation with the provinces and take up with the Chinese side.

The Committee reviewed the progress on Gwadar projects and instructed to complete al formalities for the early ground-breaking of Gwadar New Airport, Vocational Institute, Hospital and 300 MW Power Plant not later the 1st quarter of 2019.

The Committee discussed Transport Infrastructure Projects in detail including provincial as well as mass transit projects and instructed for developing a roadmap for Pakistan’s Railway Mainline-1. It was decided to seek finances for KKH Thakot-Raikot (Remaining Portion) and upgradation of D.I.Khan-Zhob (Phase-1) project of the Western Route.

Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar said that the projects on the Western route are a priority of the government that would open and ensure uplift of less developed areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.